BY JOE SCOTCHIE
jscotchie@antonmediagroup.com
If your team is in an overtime game, it’s good to have a Joe Montana-type quarterback on your side. And with Adam Combs, that’s exactly what the Roslyn Bulldogs have. Last Saturday, the Bulldogs increased their 2015 winning record to 4-2 with an overtime away win over Cold Spring Harbor, 30-28.
After Cold Spring tied the exciting offensive showdown with three minutes left in the game, Roslyn took the overtime kickoff and promptly scored in three plays, with Combs tossing an 18-yard touchdown pass to his favorite receiver, Joe Cinque. Playing on the road, head coach Mike Cocoran made the gutsy move to go for a two-point conversion. Combs came through again, hitting Prince Butler with a two-yard pass to give Roslyn a 30-22 lead. Cold Spring mounted a successful drive of their own, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by Dylan Guarneri. The game came down to Cold Spring Harbor’s own two-point conversion attempt. However, two-way star Brandon Abizedeh intercepted the
In the first quarter, Cold Spring jumped out to a 14-0 lead. However, Roslyn responded with a 61-yard pass from Combs to Cinque. The duo, however, was far from finished. After Abizedeh scored on a nine-yard run, Combs and Cinque connected again on a two-point conversion to tie the game. A six-yard run by Prince Butler gave Roslyn the lead and the two-point conversion again, was a success, with Combs connecting to his favorite target, Aaron Winston. Roslyn now had a 22-14 lead. But Cold Spring Harbor didn’t quit. Quarterback Mike Visconti hit Spencer Star with a 17-yard touchdown pass and the two-point conversion tied the game, setting the stage for Roslyn’s overtime heroics.
Combs had another Johnny Mainzel-type game, passing for 238 yards, with 28 completions from an amazing 49 attempts. Joe Cinque was his favorite target, bringing down 12 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Winston had eight receptions, Jackson Krush had four and Marc Azouley had three catches. For the regular season so far, both Combs and Winston are conference leaders, with Combs’ 991 total yards third in the conference and with Winston leading the conference with 28 receptions for 548 yards.
This game was an aerial circus and meant opportunities for interceptions. Azouley, Winston and Christian Gonzalez each had one pick, as the Roslyn defense shut out Cold Spring Harbor in the third quarter, enabling the offense to win the game. Even though Combs was his usual dominating self, defense, as it always does, made the difference, with Abizedeh’s interception ending the game and giving Roslyn momentum as they play their only Friday night game this year, a 7 p.m. contest at Carle Place. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Bulldogs conclude the regular season with a 2 p.m. home game against Clarke High School. Don’t miss out on seeing this fine team in action.
